About CSE

Dr M S Swaminathan is one of India's foremost agricultural scientists and is best known as the scientific leader of the "evergreen revolution movement" in India.

His pioneering work in the field of agricultural science and food security has earned him several awards, both national and international, the Padma Shri, the Padma Bhushan, the Padma Vibhushan, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the World Food Prize, the Tyler Environment Award, to name only a few.

He has held several distinguished positions, including Direcor General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and of the International Rice Research Institute, and Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation.

Sunita Narain has been with the Centre for Science and Environment since 1982. In her years at the Centre she has worked both to analyse and study the relationship between environment, development and to create public consciousness about the need for sustainable development.

Her research interests range from global democracy, with a special focus on climate change to the need for local democracy where she has worked on forest-related resource management and water issues. She serves on the boards of different organisations and on governmental committees and has spoken at many forums across the world on issues of her concern and expertise.

Sunita Narain has devoted a great deal of her time to develop the management and financial support systems needed to make CSE strong and sustainable. She has greatly contributed to the institution of management systems that ensure that CSE produces quality work consistently.
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One of the founder members of CSE, has been associated with the Centre since its inception. He has a doctorate in Economics and has been the Chairman and Managing Director of Union Bank of India and Deputy Managing Director of State Bank of India, the largest commercial bank of India.

He has served with several other financial institutions both in India and abroad and has been an important member of various committees constituted by financial institutions of India. He is a consultant with the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank at Manila and serves on the Boards of several companies as a nominee of the Government of India. 

B G Verghese is one of the leading journalists in India and has served as the editor of two leading national dailies of India, The Hindustan Times and the Indian Express. He is the recipient of Magsaysay award for journalism in 1975 and was the information advisor to Indira Gandhi, the former Indian Prime Minister. He is a member of the Press Council of India and the Prasar Bharati Board, India's newly reconstituted broadcasting corporation.

 A highly respected professional, B.G. Verghese was a member of the Kargil committee and was also on the National Security Council. He is also associated with the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi and works on issues of water management, especially relating to the optimal development of land and water resources of the eastern Himalaya. He is a member of India's National Commission on Integrated Water Resources Development and has written several books on the subject.

Ela Bhatt founded the Self Employed Womens' Association and has devoted her life to the upliftment of women through innovative programmes. She has served on the Governing Body of CSE for many years. Inspired by the work of Mahatma Gandhi, Ela Bhatt founded SEWA in 1971 as a trade union for poor women who eke out a living selling vegetables, recycling trash, hand-rolling cigarettes, and working at other marginal occupations. She also founded the SEWA Bank to provide credit at reasonable rates to the poor self-employed women. 

A recipient of several awards, including the Ramon Magasaysay Award, the Padma Shree and Padma Bhushan from the Government of India, the Right Livelihood Award for 'Changing the Human Environment' and the CARE Humanitarian Award she serves as a Member of Parliament, the Planning Commission, the National Commission on Self-Employed Women, National Population Commission, among others. She has several honorary degrees conferred on her by national and international institutions. 

William Bissell has been closely associated with the Centre for Science and Environment for many years He is the Managing Director of FabIndia, a company that has made a signal contribution in popularising handlooms, nationally and internationally.

He is deeply interested in issues of environment and sustainable development. Besides CSE, he is also involved with other non-profit organizations. William Bissell is the Managing Trustee of the Bhadurajun Artisan Trust, which runs schools in Rajasthan to bring quality education to the artisanal families living in rural areas. 

G N Gupta joined the Board of CSE in 1998 and is one of the core group that provides guidance on institutional development issues, particularly on financial issues.

As a member of the Indian Revenue Service, he has held several key positions in the revenue department of the Ministry of Finance. He served as the Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes, India's highest tax making body, and also as a Director in the Planning Commission. He currently serves on the Board of several companies and offers consultancy services on issues related to direct taxes. 

Dr Virendra Kumar, former professor of botany at the Zakir Husain College, New Delhi, is an ardent environmentalist and expert on Himalayan flora and fauna. He has been closely associated with CSE and has been instrumental in providing valuable information on the bio-resources found in the Himalaya and the impact of environmental degradation on this fragile ecosystem.

Dr Kumar has served as advisor to the Planning Commission on hill areas. During his long tenure as professor of botany, he has spoken at manyforums on the Himalayan flora and fauna. 

A. K. Shiva Kumar is a development economist, founding member of the International Development Evaluation Association (IDEAS) and Adviser to UNICEF, India. He is also Visiting Professor at the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad and teaches economics and public policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Shiv's research has focussed on poverty and human development, social sector analysis, and the impact of development policies on children and women.

He has been a regular contributor to UNDP's annual Human Development Reports and National Human Development Reports. Shiv did his Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and his M.A. in Economics from Bangalore University. He also has a Masters in Public Administration and a Ph.D in Political Economy and Government, both from Harvard University. 

Dr. Saxena was a senior official with the Government of India and he served in various capacities in his long and illustrious career. He was the Government of India as Secretary,

Planning Commission (1999-2002) Secretary, Rural Development (1997-99), and Director, LBS National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie (1993-96). Earlier he was Visiting Fellow, CIFOR (Center for International Forestry Research, Indonesia, 1994-95 and worked on Sustainable Forest Management.

The Rockefeller Foundation awarded him a Senior Post-Doctorate Fellowship to do research at the University of Oxford 1989-92, He is a member on the editorial boards of International Forestry Review, Oxford, and Food Policy, Amsterdam.

He is also a Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry, Stockholm, and Member, ADB Institute Advisory Council, Tokyo. On behalf of the Supreme Court of India, Dr Saxena monitor food based programmes in India. He now consults to a number of organisations on a range of issues.